179 Steely Resolve! (1/2)
With the breaking down of the Fire God Cannons, the stronghold camp was obviously at a disadvantage in both aerial and land battles. They were pushed back steadily and at the verge of defeat.
The watchful beasts surged forward as soon as the cannons broke down. They dashed onto the platforms and towards the warriors standing atop, sparking another round of slaughter!
Mangled flesh littered the ground while blood stained the earth. The clashing sounds of battle drowned out the screams of agony and raging howls, but they didn't need to travel far; clinging onto the wall, Wang Baole could hear every sound and see everything clearly!
He watched the bloodbath on the platforms; his warrior friends were torn apart one after another.
Some of them were tossed into the sky by the beasts, then ripped into pieces by the beast flock.
Wang Baole watched as it all happened. Red veins appeared in his eyes as he saw another strong, built man caught by a beast. He was about to rescue him when the beast's huge beak cracked and pierced the man's forehead!
The man was the one who had lost to Wang Baole at arm wrestling, ate his snacks, and said he would matchmake him with his sister!
Yet, he was dead; his body ripped into halves by the beast.
Wang Baole let loose a pained howl, and his right hand shot up and swept to one side. In an instant, a blast of Cloud Finger exploded from his hand, snaking forward swiftly and skewering the beast that murdered the muscular man. The beast's body quivered. As it died, Wang Baole looked at the platforms drenched in blood with rage and agony. He leapt into the air onto one of the sharp spikes outside the stronghold walls, and from that spike jumped onto the next, racing towards the few functioning Fire God Cannons the stronghold still had.
He wanted vengeance!
Beasts flew towards him mid-way and tried to surround him, but Wang Baole's rage was beyond control. He struck brutally, seal after seal exploding. Wang Baole forced his way out, a trail of bodies in his wake, and blood staining his lips. He was swift, and finally, he stepped onto a Fire God Cannon platform.
Following the mass breakdown of Fire God Cannons, only thirteen cannons in the stronghold remained functioning. One of the thirteen was under Wang Baole's care. The cannon sat on the platform he approached and was the only surviving cannon out of the ten he had been charged with!
Beasts approached at that very moment. The number of warriors present was great, and they were all fighting with all they had. Alongside the cannon firings, they managed to hold the attacks at bay for the moment. However, the quaking Fire God Cannon was clearly on the verge of collapse and would break down at any time.
Wang Baole arrived just in the nick of time. The warriors parted for him, and he rushed to the Fire God Cannon and pressed his right hand against it. Spirit Qi surged into the cannon instantly and started the repairs. Despite the tremors traveling through the cannon, it was still able to fire shots. The cannon swerved into position and fired straight at the beasts leaping about—the ones who had slaughtered their way through platform after platform.
”Die!” Wang Baole howled. Four consecutive shots shook the heavens and earth, thunderous booms resounding throughout the battlefield. Four beams of light pierced through the skies, blowing four gigantic holes in the swarming sea of beasts. Pained shrieks rose into the air, and countless beasts were decimated!
The remaining Fire God Cannons fired continuously as well. Under their attacks, thunderous explosions shook the lands. The stronghold began to hold its ground again on the battlefields in the sky and on land.
In the skies, as the beasts fell back, Wang Baole's target for vengeance shifted and locked onto the Foundation Establishment realm unicorn. With rage in his heart, he fired six rounds of shots.
Boom, boom, boom—the six cannon shots didn't land a hit in the aerial battlefield, but they still made an impact. The Divine Armament-wielding cultivator seized the opportunity and beheaded the unicorn with one broad sweep of his sword!
The beast let loose cries of agony and rage as it died, and blood fell to the earth like a torrent of rain.
The Fire God Cannon couldn't hold for too long, though, as every few rounds of shots required repairs. With the dwindling number of targets and only thirteen cannons surviving, the beasts in the air roared and swooped down upon seeing a pause in the cannon firings—intent on destroying every single one of the remaining cannons.
In the moment of crisis, Wang Baole flung out all the Golden Bell Shields he had without thinking. Thunderous booms resounded in the air. The golden shield that had been erected on the platform was significantly reinforced within the blink of an eye. Together with the thousand-odd warriors on the platform, they held off the attacks from the beasts!
Wang Baole panted as he started repairing the Fire God Cannon. Soon, he fired the cannon again, a grim look on his face.
Explosions rang through the air, and shots of cannon beams rang from where Wang Baole stood. It was his nature to be vengeful. He no long targeted the beasts on land but the Foundation Establishment realm beasts in the sky.
At that time, with the battle escalating to such a state, there was no longer anyone left in command. Even Big Beard had charged into battle. His clothes stained with blood, he was unrecognizable at first glance. Big Beard pushed forward on land, diving deep into the Beast Tide and moved steadily towards the hurricane.
”I'll wipe you all out!” Wang Baole cursed, yearning to send a blast of cannon beam at the bat in the eye of the hurricane. He could tell that the bat was the key to ending the battle, but it was too far away and protected within the hurricane. Wang Baole tried firing a shot but realized that he couldn't reach his target. After firing a few shots into the air, he turned the cannon on the beasts on land.